In August, the Boeing Co. received a $32 million contract that included plans for eight of the massive munitions, named Massive Ordnance Penetrator, but exactly how many will be delivered is not clear. Air Force spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jack Miller would only say they “will meet requirements for the current operational need.”

The huge bomb – six times bigger than the 5,000-pound bunker-buster currently favored by the U.S. Air Force – was made to be fully integrated with B-2 stealth bomber. The B-2 has bombed targets in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya.

The excessive military might is typical of the profligacy of the Pentagon’s military industrial complex, and although no serious military threats face the U.S., it continues even with impending cuts to defense resulting from indebted government.

The development and procurement of these Massive Ordnance Penetrators undoubtedly occurs with Iran in mind. Despite a lack of evidence and a weak attempt by the IAEA to make Iran out as on the verge of nuclear capability, the Pentagon is concerned about Iranian nuclear development underground. Hence, the need for bombs that can reach targets 200 feet underground before exploding.

Pentagon Comptroller Robert Hale requested such capabilities in July of 2009, saying there was “an urgent operational need for the capability to strike hard and deeply buried targets in high- threat environments.”

OMG, is there no end to the murderous intent of the fascist police state of America?

Brad_Smith2

This is nothing new as far as I can tell. It's a harder version of the MOAB or Diasy cutter. It's an ANFO bomb. Ammonium nitrate, fuel oil. (the same thing that was used in the OK bombing)

It's a fertilizer used on acid loving plants. They soak it with fuel oil and then detontate it with TNT or a plastic explosive.

The Daisy cutters were used in Vietnam but were detonated in the air. The blast mostly goes down, they were used for clearing landing sites. The MOAB is about 21,000 pounds and can be detonated in the air or after in hits.

It's a propaganda ploy. It needs oxygen to feed on so it really can't work as a bunker buster. But keep that quiet. I'm sure that the Iranians are too dumb to know that. (sarcasm)

Don't get me wrong it's a massive explosions but it isn't going to touch anything that is 200 feet down. The shock wave is absorbed by all the ground for miles around. It's much like trying to shoot into water. The bullet will only penetrate about a foot before the energy is absorbed and the shell disintigrates.

Druthers

Are they chocolat coated for Xmas?

vincent

why not a 100,000 pound bomb? There is no end to this insanity. If you want to stop terrorism, stop pissing people off

SameOld Warcrimes

spending us into oblivion

John_Muhammad

These are bombs that are to be loaded on to B-2 bombers that are grounded most of the time? Please.

Shahriar

US military can develop a 300,000 pound bomb. At the end they have to find a way to get the bomb to the middle of Iran with B-2s, and B-2s are not 100% stealth, nothing is.

Russians developed radar dubbed 55Zh6ME is capable of detecting targets such as B-2s, F-22s and F-117s at the distance of up to 1800 kilometers and an altitude of up to 1200 kilometers.

This system has 3 types of radar, a metric radar (VHF), a decimetric radar (L band) and centimetric Radar (X band AESA). All looking at the target in unison and the data is fused from all 3 radar to give a single picture.

Even a British team detected a B-2 at the Farnborough Airshow with EO/Thermal equipment for the Rapier 2000 system, and the Aussies claim to have detected a B-2 with their OTH-B radar at Jindalee.

We Iranians are not a bit intimidated with all these barking by the US and Israel. We don’t want war, as we have not for 200 years, but we will respond WWIII Style.